There was a lot of talk about Texas A&M star Myles Garrett being traded to the Los Angeles Rams during the offseason after spending his entire NFL career in Cleveland. However, after failing to record a tackle during Thursday’s 27-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia, Garrett offered a blunt assessment of his performance.
“This was the worst version of myself that I’ve put out there.” Garrett said.
Garrett knows he did not play up to the standard he has set throughout his career. He acknowledged that he needs to recover and return to the level of play everyone has become accustomed to seeing year after year.
How quiet was his debut? Garrett finished without a tackle, sack, or quarterback hit, marking his first game without a tackle since
Week 11 of the 2024 season. He was held in check by All-Pro offensive tackle Trent Williams, and the 49ers controlled the second half by scoring 24 unanswered points after falling behind 7-3.
Garrett didn't look as explosive as usual for a clear reason. He has been dealing with knee discomfort and swelling that limited him for much of training camp and kept him out of the preseason. Even though he entered the opener without an official injury designation, Garrett admitted that he was too focused on staying healthy while playing.
After winning the 2025 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award and being named the league’s No. 1 player by his peers, expectations are sky-high. The Rams also gave up a significant package to acquire him, trading Jared Verse and three future draft picks to Cleveland. That made Garrett’s quiet debut especially noticeable.
One poor performance will not erase everything Garrett has accomplished, but the former Aggie knows the Rams will need a much better version of him moving forward.
Los Angeles has an extended break before hosting the New York Giants on Monday, Sept. 21. That gives Garrett additional time to get healthy before making his regular-season debut at SoFi Stadium and an opportunity to quickly put his disappointing opener behind him.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: 'Worst version of myself': Garrett gives blunt response to Rams debut
